


Perseverance

by Rose_of_Pollux



Series: Inktober for Writers, 2019 [25]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 10:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21178169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_of_Pollux/pseuds/Rose_of_Pollux
Summary: [PokéAni OS] In which Brock and Charmander prepare lunch and talk.





	Perseverance

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("tasty"); takes place in very early Kanto.

Ash had been over the moon, having added Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle to his Pokémon team. For the moment, he was focused on training, preparing for when they would eventually stop being lost and make it to Vermillion City.

Brock watched in amusement as Ash watched over Pikachu and Bulbasaur sparring with each other; Misty was by the shore of a lake, half-focused on fishing and half-focused on watching the training. Squirtle was enjoying a relaxing swim with Misty’s Goldeen, Starmie, and Staryu. Butterfree was in deep conversation with Brock’s Zubat while his Onix and Geodude rested—with Ash’s Pidgeotto roosting on Onix’s horn.

As Brock began to work on lunch for everyone, he took note that there was one Pokémon remaining aloof from the others. Charmander had watched the sparring for some time before wandering off on his own. He didn’t seem like he wanted to rest; if anything, he seemed extremely restless—and Brock knew that it would be important for the fire lizard to release some of that energy that was rapidly building up.

“Hey, Charmander!” he called. “Think you can help me out over here?”

Charmander looked to him, curiously. Charmander was technically Ash’s Pokémon, but Brock had a connection with the little lizard, having spearheaded the effort to rescue him after Damian had abandoned him in that terrible storm.

Nevertheless, Charmander hustled over to him.

“Char Char?”

“I need some help lighting the firewood; we’re running low on matches, and I can’t buy anymore until we get to the next town—wherever that is…” Brock said. “I was wondering if you could…”

He didn’t even need to finish the sentence; Charmander eagerly spat out a few embers to light the fire.

“Thanks, Charmander,” Brock said, putting the cast-iron cooking pot over the flames. There was already vegetable stock in the pot; Brock was now looking at their provisions to see what else he could add to it.

He rummaged through his backpack and sighed.

“Char?” Charmander questioned.

“I don’t want to make Ash and Misty nervous, but I don’t know for how much longer our provisions will last if we keep staying lost out here. I’m going to have to improvise lunch as it is.”

There was no flour to thicken the stew with; Brock made do with adding some rice to it before scrounging up whatever vegetables he could find. He asked for Charmander’s help in cutting the vegetables; Charmander happily obliged with Scratch, and Brock added the vegetables to the stew. He then seasoned it with salt, pepper, and herbs.

“It still needs to cook for a bit,” he said. “But I think I have it exactly where I want it as far as taste is concerned.” He sampled a bit and nodded in satisfaction. “Well, I think that’s extremely good, considering that what I have to work with is limited… What do you think?”

He held the ladle out to Charmander, who looked at it in surprise for a moment before realizing that he was supposed to taste it. He took a drink from the ladle and exclaimed happily, but Brock was looking at him with a newfound pity.

“…Damian never shared his food with you, did he?” Brock realized aloud.

“Char…”

Brock let out a sigh.

“He really is a piece of work, isn’t he?”

“Char, Char Charmander…”

“No, it isn’t your fault,” Brock insisted. “There is nothing that justifies him mistreating you or abandoning you! You looked up to him, and you depended on him, and he just threw you aside like you were nothing!”

“…Char, mander Char…”

Brock froze.

“…What do you mean, you can tell that I was abandoned, too?”

“Char, char…”

“…Well, even if you say you ‘just know,’ you’re right,” Brock sighed. “It wasn’t just me; it was all of my brothers and sisters, too… My father decided he was destined for greater things and we would be in the way of those things. I had to take care of my siblings all by myself after he left. He finally came back—that’s why I ended up traveling with Ash and Misty.”

“Mander?”

“…You know, I don’t really know if I forgive him,” Brock answered. “I could ask you if you forgive Damian, but my situation is a bit more complicated since it is my father we’re talking about.”

“Char…”

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. If we do decide to forgive them, it’s going to be on our terms—no one else’s. And anyway, for the moment, we’ve got great friends here, and with their help and support, we’re both going to get stronger and overcome everything we’ve had to deal with!”

“Char, Char!”

“That’s the spirit! Now let’s go call the others—lunch will be ready soon!”

He hadn’t really given much thought to the similarity between his situation and Charmander’s before Charmander had pointed it out. Perhaps that was why Brock’s buttons had been pushed even more than the others’ after meeting Damian—they’d all been upset at Damian, but Brock had come extremely close to inflicting an injury on the creep.

Well, it didn’t matter now; Charmander was safe, and Brock was finally allowed to seek out his dreams at long last.

They may both have been through a lot, but they were well on their way to better lives.


End file.
